At the end of October, law enforcement in Minnesota identified a motor vehicle operator who died when his semi truck slid into the St. Louis River as a result of recent snowfall and a slippery road. The vehicle slid off the northbound lane of Interstate 35. The vehicle landed on its side and was submerged in the water in the median between two bridges. Law enforcement and firefighters were able to find the deceased man’s body just two hours after the accident.
The Nature of Automobile Crashes Involving Water
Car crashes involving water often have a variety of elements in common, which include the following:
- Crashes involving automobiles and water are often much more serious than vehicular crashes that occur on dry land.
- In nearly all of these types of crashes, only a single vehicle is involved.
- Many times, a motor vehicle operator will lose control of an automobile before the vehicle enters the water.
- Many times, water accidents occur in rural areas on roads that include sharp twists and turns.
Advice for Motorists in Crashes Involving Water
There are some critical pieces of advice that a motor vehicle operator should follow if his or her vehicle enters a body of water. These safety tips include:
- Even One Drop Counts: Even if a motor vehicle crash involves just a small amount of water, it is important the motor vehicle driver exercises great caution.
- Never Wait to Escape the Vehicle: Even if a vehicle appears to be slowly sinking into the water, a person should not hesitate to escape. The more the vehicle is submerged, the more difficult it will be to escape the vehicle.
- Seatbelts: If a vehicle is completely submerged in the water, it is a wise idea to keep one’s seatbelt on while determining how to respond. Keeping a seatbelt on underwater might be necessary to hold an accident victim in place from great forces of water which might otherwise sweep him or her away.
- Stay Calm: While water accidents can be sudden and overwhelming, it is important for motor vehicle operators to remain calm during the accident. Not remaining calm can result in a person’s judgment becoming clouded.
- Survive the Impact: Some of the important steps that motor vehicle operators should take if their vehicle enters the water is to not remove their seat belt prior to impact and to brace themselves by gripping the steering wheel.
- Swimming Out of the Vehicle: A person should use hands and feet to kick out of their vehicle and towards the surface. If other individuals are behind someone, it might only be feasible to use a person’s hands. If it is difficult to see where one is going, it is a wise idea to either follow any source of light or the direction in which air bubbles are floating.
Obtain the Services of a Minnesota Crash Attorney
Each year, a large number of individuals are injured and even killed in vehicular accidents that involve water. If you or a loved one is harmed in such a way, contact these experienced attorneys Tim O’Keeffe, Tatum O’Brien or Sara Monson online or by calling O’Keeffe O’Brien Lyson Foss today at 701-235-8000 or 877-235-8002 to begin taking steps to make sure that your case resolves in the best possible manner.
